Archbishop opposes Trident replacement

-20/09/06

The leader of the Anglican Church in W


Archbishop opposes Trident replacement

-20/09/06

The leader of the Anglican Church in Wales is to add his voice to those of church leaders in Scotland, and hit out at plans to upgrade the UK’s Trident nuclear missile system.

In a speech tomorrow (Thursday) Dr Barry Morgan will say the £25bn costs could prevent 16,000 children dying each day from diseases caused by contaminated water and malnutrition.

The comments will come in a speech to the church’s governing body.

They come two days after church leaders in Scotland finished a ‘Long Walk for Peace’ during which Cardinal Keith Patrick OíBrien, President of the Bishopsí Conference of Scotland, the Right Reverend Alan McDonald, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the Episcopal Bishop of Edinburgh, the Right Reverend Brian Smith also spoke out against a replacement for Trident.

Tony Blair has said a decision on the missile system’s future will be made by the end of the year.

The 280-strong governing body made up of members representing all six dioceses of the Church in Wales, meets twice a year.

Details of the archbishop’s speech were released ahead of the two-day gathering at the University of Wales, Lampeter.

The archbishop will stress that the views on the nuclear deterrent represent his own personal opinions and not those of the church he leads.

“I would like to express my own concern about the government’s apparent commitment to a long-term replacement for the Trident weapons system,” he will say.

“With that kind of money we could prevent 16,000 children dying every day from diseases caused by impure water and malnutrition.

“The deaths of 16,000 children a day is the equivalent of 40 jumbo jets crashing every day of every week.

“Our world would not tolerate that – just look at what happens when our airports grind to a halt.

“But we do tolerate hunger, poverty and impure water, and are prepared to contemplate spending our resources on weapons of mass destruction.”

The archbishop will also argue against renewal.

He will brand Trident an “anomaly” in the post-Cold War era when the UK no longer is faced with a direct nuclear threat.

He will also contend that under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the UK should not replace Trident but take a “leading role” towards nuclear disarmament.

“I do not see how we can say to Iran that it ought not to have nuclear weapons whilst at the same time replacing ours,” the archbishop will say.


Archbishop opposes Trident replacement

-20/09/06

The leader of the Anglican Church in Wales is to add his voice to those of church leaders in Scotland, and hit out at plans to upgrade the UK’s Trident nuclear missile system.

In a speech tomorrow (Thursday) Dr Barry Morgan will say the £25bn costs could prevent 16,000 children dying each day from diseases caused by contaminated water and malnutrition.

The comments will come in a speech to the church’s governing body.

They come two days after church leaders in Scotland finished a ‘Long Walk for Peace’ during which Cardinal Keith Patrick OíBrien, President of the Bishopsí Conference of Scotland, the Right Reverend Alan McDonald, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the Episcopal Bishop of Edinburgh, the Right Reverend Brian Smith also spoke out against a replacement for Trident.

Tony Blair has said a decision on the missile system’s future will be made by the end of the year.

The 280-strong governing body made up of members representing all six dioceses of the Church in Wales, meets twice a year.

Details of the archbishop’s speech were released ahead of the two-day gathering at the University of Wales, Lampeter.

The archbishop will stress that the views on the nuclear deterrent represent his own personal opinions and not those of the church he leads.

“I would like to express my own concern about the government’s apparent commitment to a long-term replacement for the Trident weapons system,” he will say.

“With that kind of money we could prevent 16,000 children dying every day from diseases caused by impure water and malnutrition.

“The deaths of 16,000 children a day is the equivalent of 40 jumbo jets crashing every day of every week.

“Our world would not tolerate that – just look at what happens when our airports grind to a halt.

“But we do tolerate hunger, poverty and impure water, and are prepared to contemplate spending our resources on weapons of mass destruction.”

The archbishop will also argue against renewal.

He will brand Trident an “anomaly” in the post-Cold War era when the UK no longer is faced with a direct nuclear threat.

He will also contend that under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the UK should not replace Trident but take a “leading role” towards nuclear disarmament.

“I do not see how we can say to Iran that it ought not to have nuclear weapons whilst at the same time replacing ours,” the archbishop will say.